Targeted by opponents and crowd: Vini row overshadows Real win | OneFootball

Real Madrid not only kicked off the new season with a late winning goal, but also with fresh Vini controversy. A social media post from opponents Espanyol added fuel to the fire during Los Blancos’ 2-1 win.

During the match, the club posted: “How many dives does it actually take to get a second yellow card? Asking for a friend.” The post was clearly aimed at Vinicius Jr.’s falls during the game.

In two moments during the match, the Brazilian went down in the penalty area. On both occasions, referee José María Sánchez Martínez did not award a penalty, but he also did not show a yellow card for simulation. Vinicius had already been booked in the first half after clashing with Álex Calatrava Torrado. Iturralde González, refereeing expert for radio station Cadena SER, said he could understand Espanyol’s frustration. “He puts a little hand on him and he goes down. When you’re already on a yellow, I don’t know why he does that,” the former referee said after the match. In his view, a second yellow card would have been justified.

And how did Los Blancos respond to their opponent’s complaints? Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was asked about the social media post after the final whistle and reacted sharply: “Espanyol’s tweet? You should look in the mirror before talking about others. It’s easy to judge things only from your own perspective.” The Belgian also added: “I’d like to see whether these teams post the same tweets when they play against teams other than us…”

In his view, Calatrava should have been sent off, “either for the kick on Vini Jr. or for the foul on Carreras when he was already on a yellow,” he also explained.

Asked about the kick on Vinicius after the game, the Espanyol star said: “I tried to play the ball, realized it was gone, and tried to stop. It was completely unintentional, and I wasn’t trying to hurt him.”

Coach José Mourinho also defended Vinicius. “Vini is no saint, but what they do to him is too much,” he said at the press conference, adding: “We live in a social era of anti-bullying. With Vini, we are still in the bullying phase—whether from opponents or from the crowd. We have to educate him as best we can and prepare him for it as best we can.”

The Brazilian is repeatedly targeted by opponents, his new coach complained. Vinicius would have to show great restraint, even though it frustrates him. “I spoke to him and told him, ‘If you score, be careful how you celebrate.’”

The season has only just begun, but the pattern is already familiar. Vinícius Júnior is once again dividing the league, and many more heated chapters are likely to follow this season.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

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